After Dark

After Dark (29)

--chapter 29--

Crystal Turner

I drove Ryan home tonight. It's just cause I have nothing else better to do anyway since I don't sleep anymore and all.

"Who's Gareth?" Ryan asked.

I groaned. "Seriously?" I asked him.

"What?"

"You're already jealous?"

"No, I'm not!"

"Ryan, I can read your thoughts loud and clear."

"Would you please stay out of my head?" He was getting pissed off.

"Okay, okay. Oh, and for your information, Gareth's just a friend. In fact, he's more of an aquitance. He was just helping me with..."

"With what?"

"Vampire issues. I needed to have more info and I have no idea where Brooke is so I went to him."

Ryan relaxed. "Oh," he said.

This was getting out of hand. I seriously hate lying to him. He's like my best friend and he tells me stuff, and vice versa. I turned up the radio. Thunder boomed, lightening struck and it started raining. It's kind of depressing living in Forks sometimes. I activated the windscreen wipers as the rain fell harder. It was pitch dark because it was like one AM. The wipers were obstructing my view of things.

BOOM!! Lightening struck again and the entire sky lit up. I saw a man standing in the middle of the road and I swerved. My car slid across the slippery surface of the road. I slammed the brakes and the car finally stopped. We nearly hit a huge oak tree.

"Are you okay?" I asked Ryan.

His eyes were huge and was looking around as if he thought he had died.

"Y-yeah. What about you?" He said.

"Don't worry about me, I don't get hurt easily." I reassured him.

I grabbed my blue and white umbrella from the back seat and got out of car. I started checking for any damage on my white Audi. As I checked the back of the car I heard a noise. I turned around. Nothing. I continued checking the car. The noise came again. This time I walked a couple of meters away and searched for anything. Still nothing. Just the rain, trees and empty road. I got back inside the car.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with the car," I said as I got in.

Ryan didn't respond. I glanced over at the passenger seat. Ryan dissapeared! All that was left was a scruffed up piece of paper written "Crystal/Brooke". I opened it and in it it read:

"I know you changed me. And I want some answers to the questions I have. I captured your friend as a hostage. If you come in peace, and answer the questions, your friend will be returned alive and well. If you try to attack us, we will kill your friend. It's your choice."

Oh God, oh God, oh God. They've got Ryan. And now I have no choice but to tell Brooke. But... there's always the other option. It's a long shot, but it never hurts to try.

***

I drove up to their house. Big, modern and white. With many windows. I got out of my car still clutching the note. Before I had a chance to knock on the large glass door, Renesmee opened it.

"What d'you want?" She asked with a frown.

Oh yeah. I forgot. The chick hated me.

"I need some help." I said a bit pleadingly.

Renesmee looked at me for a while, like she was deciding whether I was being genuine or not. She finally let me in and led me to a huge white living room. The room also had large windows. I saw three people in the living room. Some big guy from The Rez, a tall bronze-haired pale guy, and a smaller brunette.

"This is Jacob, Bella and Edward." Renesmee explained.

The bronze-haired one, Edward, looked at me skeptically. I wondered what his problem was. Then he frowned. Did I say that out loud? I looked around. He was the only one that looked annoyed. This must be the one that reads minds.

"You know about us?" Edward asked.

The other two, Bella and Jacob, sat up and looked more interested. Renesmee went and sat next to Jacob. Are they ...? No, it can't be. Anyway, I should probably answer his question.

"Uh... sorta. Just a bit. Most of it is what I've heard about you guys in school and around the town." I replied.

"And the rest?" Edward asked.

"Just stuff Brooke told me." I said.

"What did she say?" Bella asked.

I turned to her. "Only that she's friends with you."

Edward looked at me like he was searching. Probably trying to read my thoughts. Is this how my friends feel?

"You posess the gift of mind reading?" Edward asked another question.

Seriously? I came here as a last resort for help and they throw questions at me like they're going out of style?!

A small smile creeped onto Edward's pale face. I never noticed before but his and Bella's eyes were gold. Vampires? Still not sure. But I knew for a fact that Jacob wasn't. He wasn't pale like us, he had brown eyes, and he had a different scent. Strong, and displeasing. Like a filthy animal, maybe a dog or something.

"Look. I come at a time of need to you guys, just please tell me if you can help or not." I addressed them and flipped my blonde hair out of my face. I was getting impatient.

"What is it that you need?" Edward asked.

I gave him the note. He read it with a thoughtful expression and handed it to the others and they huddled together so they could all read at the same time. When they were done, Jacob handed the paper back to me. His hand was warm, hot infact. And the stench increased.

Yup I thought. The smell definately comes from this one.

"How can we help?" Bella asked.

She was definately a possible friend in this group. Edward was too cold and formal, Renesmee hated me already, and Jacob... he was just there.

"Seriously?" Renesmee bolted up from the sofa. "It could be a trap!" She pointed to me. "She's evil."

"Why would I want to do that? And anyways, why would I joke around with my boyfriend's life? Maybe when you're a really old vamp life means nothing anymore, but I'm still seventeen, not two hundred and fifty-four years old." I shot back.

She was really getting on my nerves. What's her problem? It's just plain annoying right now. Before it was fun, but this is Ryan's life we are talking about.

Edward searched me again. I got a wierd, tingly feeling when he read my mind. Wierd.

"She's a friend of Brooke's Nessie, we will help her. Anyway, if she was lying, Edward would know," Bella said. "Right?"

Edward nodded. He seemed reluctant to agree to helping me. I wondered what Brooke did here. Cause these people were pissed off.

"I have an idea," I proposed. "I walk in and surrender. There's no use of telling them about the other vampires because they'll probably try to kill us. You guys can stay as back up."

"That's it?" Jacob asked. He looked like the type of guy who loves action and tons of killing.

"Won't it be better if you and Renesmee stay out of it? Because this could mean death for you." I suggested.

I thought I was being nice until Renesmee actually hissed at me. Fiesty. Jacob looked pissed off too, but he can control himself more.

"Nessie, calm down." He said softly.

"So... good plan?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I think it could use some adjustments." Bella smiled at Edward.

*****